The spill in the Gulf of Mexico started as a news report of an explosion and eleven men missing. Only one sentence was dedicated to the oil spillage…saying only that a tiny amount was leaking.

It has now grown and threatened the coastline of several states. It is telling a story much larger and much more damning to the shrimpers and the oil people.

Here’s an example…reported by the New York Times.

“About 35 endangered sea turtles have washed up dead on beaches along the Gulf of Mexico since Sunday, sowing fears that they were done in by the growing oil spill.

But so far scientists have found no connection between their deaths and the spill. Autopsies indicated that the turtles had ingested no oil.

It is now suspected that shrimpers out at sea before the April 20 rig explosion and spill caught the turtles in their nets, which can suffocate them.

The A.P. reports that federal fisheries investigators are looking into whether shrimpers were responsible.”

So, the oil spill exposes other abuses.

And is social media having a hay day with the suspected killing of endangered species in pursuit of the dollar? Yep. Search for “sea turtles” on Twitter and it is all about turtles and the oil spill.

Why is the sea turtle episode exploding on Twitter? Because it is the sidebar that puts a new spin on the story. There are pictures. And people are becoming emotionally attached.

And this whole business is dirty.

Our dependence on oil is dirty… due to carbon loading.

According to the University of California, every car is responsible for 1.28 tons of carbon per year.  A nation with five percent of the earth’s population consumes about 23 percent of the world’s oil output. And we are currently exceeding the regenerative ability of the earth to sustain us. Today we occupy 145% of the earth’s regenerative ability.

The extraction is dirty, and dangerous.

According to the Associated Press, the U.S. Minerals and Management Service is developing regulations aimed at preventing human error, which it identified as a factor in many of the more than 1,400 offshore oil drilling accidents between 2001 and 2007.

Sea turtles are now proving that commercial shrimpers are dirty.

And this story has so many sidebars, many which are still unknown,  that it will be tweeted about, facebooked about, and blogged about …for years.

There will be more pictures of wildlife, total victims.  And millions more new media comments.

There will be villains. And more new media comments.

There will be innocent human victims. And more new media comments.

And my point?

There is no new media strategy that can solve this, next time. This is a national tragedy.

Pundits are already coming out and writing that BP didn’t handle this the right way. Well what is the right way? Set up a war room and have the best minds churn out news?  Stay on top of the issues? Be the first to break the stories…before the media?  Be transparent? Be honest? Be responsive to new media questions?

Won’t help.

Again, this is a tragedy and one that is unfolding before our eyes. And new media is a part of delivering the story and the millions of opinions surrounding it.

BP better concentrate on fixing the problem and cleaning up the mess. And pay for all of it. After nearly two decades of screwing around with the legal system, Exxon got exactly what it wanted: a Supreme Court that reduced punitive damages from $2.5 billion to $500 million. According to reports, that is just a week’s profit for Exxon.

This time we should put the big hurt on BP. 10 billion. 20 weeks of profit. Make them howl. And the judicial branch should level the fine and walk away. That will get the attention of the other oil companies.

The Obama Administration would be wise to forget about the deals they made with the Republicans to get the health care bill passed…and kill the off-shore oil drilling initiative. DOA. Period.

Shrimpers…stop killing endangered species. You might have been innocent victims, but you sure aren’t now.

This is a big story of our time. And because of new media, we are all involved. Writing. Discussing. Taking action. Being disgusted.

And there is no strategy that will lessen the impact for BP.  It is caught in a huge unfolding story.  And the federal government is caught in the same story. So are the shrimpers. And so am I. And so are you. BP is just a spoke in the massive feeding machine connected to our lifestyles.

We in new media can pontificate all we want about this national disaster, but until we view the future with sharp, clear-eyed vision and determination…expect bigger environmental disasters.

And expect our free fall into the future to continue with the ground approaching at an ever increasing rate.

We have met the enemy, and it is us.

Channel Signal has been bombarded lately with noise. Now, part of our job is to filter noise and there is much to filter: worthless posts like “Just on my way to work. What a beautiful day. Wearing my brand sandals.” or “50% discount here on all brand product. Buy. Buy. Buy.”

I would say of the 400-600 posts a day that we receive for each of our clients about 80% is noise.
And when we send it through our second “human” filter we filter out about 80% of that and deliver only about 20% of that to our clients.

Recently, there is a new type of noise, and it is just confusing the issue. This noise is all about the new software coming online to help companies sort through new media, help them develop content, and then help deliver content. Soon, there will be software that will write the content for you and all the brand needs to do is put its name here.

This improved software will help a company make new media easier, faster, more efficient and cost-effective.

Don’t believe it.

It’s just like the great Smith-Barney ads used to proclaim at the end of its thirty-second spots.
“We make money the old-fashioned way. We earn it.”

And you must. Brands must earn the respect of the Influencers in new media. Must earn a loyal following. Must earn a strong community. Sure it starts with the product; however, it doesn’t end there. That is only the beginning.

It’s the communication and feedback loops that you must now build. And yes, software packages can help; however, the basics can not be ignored. Here are some of the basics.

1. Pick just one channel and do it well. Not just by getting yourself up on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, and Flickr…and saying, “well, that’s that. Let’s talk about our product and see if we sell more.”

2. Sorry about this, but it needs to be said…because this is the phrase, “shit in, shit out.” Searching and receiving raw new media data, and not filtering and accurately assigning sentiment means a brand is getting crap. And now crap is being analyzed. And the analysis is crap. And management decisions are being made based on crap.

Channel Signal delivers “finished” data and this is data that is relevant and worth consideration by our clients. We then analyze that data, and measure it. Now management (and its pr/marketing partners) have clean data, a clean report, and good information to consider.

3. Engage. I come from a family of talkers. My Mom always used to say, “well Paul, if you aren’t listening and talking, then how will you know what others are thinking?” Brands must first listen, and then talk. Engage with good content, and then enter the conversation that it sponsors. And if doesn’t sponsor any talk, then change what you are writing about. Get them talking.

Publish and talk. Don’t be shy. New media is not the place for wall-flowers.

And, ignore the noise. An old African saying, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”

Take this in bites. Choose a channel. Concentrate on it. Make it successful. And then use that knowledge to build.

And believe that this will be hard work. Building content that attracts a strong community starts with knowing your voice, your audience, and what they want. And that’s where “finished” data comes in. It is the feedback loop that allows you to accurately gauge, and correct.

It’s your compass in a whacky world.

It’s spring, although you wouldn’t have known it a few days ago in Utah. Sunday night was our biggest winter storm of the season.

But alas, it is spring and outdoor brands should be preparing for a very busy new media season.

Why? Because the first spring grassroots event has come and gone and it was a huge hit. In no small part to great pre-planning, pent-up demand and new media to fuel the momentum. Canoecopia had 25,000 people at its event in Madison this year. And there was Twitter and Facebook buzz before during and after the show.

And look for more of this as other spring and summer events get started. Community is hot. Many people are liking where they live. And they are finding a lot of fun things to do just beyond the white picket fence. And they want gear because they want to road bike with their pals, and the girls want to climb, and the Grandmas want to hike, and it goes on and on. And many want to publish their experiences and equipment.

We are in a very fortunate place, we of the outdoor ilk.

So, let us capitalize.

If you are a retailer:

1. Sponsor three major community events this summer.

2. Advertise the event with new media. Learn who is active among your staff. Get them together. Give them a budget. And the message. And turn them loose on Twitter, Facebook, and your Blog. And give them time to do it.

3. Talk the events up on the sales floor.

4. And during the event have three employees taking pictures and videos. And then post them on your new media sites. This will build momentum for the next event.

5. And have a large presence during the event. A tent. Product for people to test. And do crazy stuff. Be a part of the community. Remember, many members of your staff are probably popular in the community. This helps.

6. And have fun.

If you are a brand:

1. All politics are local. Be local by not having a large corporate presence, but a down-home presence that fits in. This means knowing the culture of the event. If it is in Louisiana and the food is cajun, well, you may well want to supply the beer…just not Stella Artois.

2. Bring lots of product and show it off. Have demos. Have some of your athletes or local retail salespeople there to work with people on game improvement.

3. Support your reps with bigger budgets and more people. One guy, some product, and a tent doesn’t cut it anymore.

4. Employ new media (Twitter, Facebook and your Blog). Push out the information but do it as “news”. Assume people will be interested. And don’t stop during the event. Tweet then. And after the event use Flickr and YouTube to show those who couldn’t make it. This builds momentum.

5. Partner with your retailers. Follow their lead on much of this because they live in the community.

6. Partner with one other local business…like an ice cream shop, wine store, or a great deli. And figure out a way that you can keep people circling around your brand, while also sponsoring a good time.

You want a return on investment for new media? Then give new media something to talk about.

Sell your products through:

1. Community

2. Engagement

3. Content

Lower the draw bridge. Walk across the moat. Go among the people.

You’ll love it.

And your business will grow.

I’ve been in many discussions with people who are insistent that I call “it” social media instead of new media.

In my view there is a growing component to social media that has nothing to do with social. It is not social…it is all about business.

Companies are attempting to sell product, connect with customers and influencers, launch programs, scan product reviews online and measure.

This is anything but social media. My view is companies do not know how to be social, so they should drop the facade.

Ever read an online exchange between a company representative and a consumer?  If it is a customer complaint about service or a defective product then it is authentic. Why? Because both sides are working to the same end. If it’s about anything else, it is not authentic. That representative is not speaking from the heart. He or she is trying to sell the consumer on a new product, event, promotion or new marketing initiative. Or get the consumer to take action on the company’s behalf. Ain’t real, and it comes off like it.

Now, read an online conversation between two people with different points of view. Say, an exchange between two people with differing opinions about national health care. Now, that is authentic.

There is a way for companies to be “social” but a company must give the employees the freedom to talk openly about their lives as an employee of the company. Take Zappos, for example. Those employees are tweeting about their lives.  ”Am at the coffee shop.” “Great sales meeting today.” ” Just met the chairwoman of the board of Xerox and she is cool.” Snapshots of their lives, and interesting to some.

And yes, getting people to engage on behalf of a cool new contest can be very effective. Those people want to write and video about their experiences…so it is personal.

But, tweeting, facebooking, youtubing, flickring, or using any other new media outlet to deliver messages in the name of a company is not personal and, by default, it is not social. It’s advertising. Or selling. Or marketing.

Now trust me on this…this will be the only time I ever quote Sara Palin. However, she is right when she says, “how’s that touchy feely thing workin’ out for ya?”

Companies make, market, sell, and service product lines. And they should use new media to do that. And if a company wants to engage social media, then you will need to reach into the personal lives of employees and consumers, engage them, and live with what they publish.

That’s why I call it new media. Because it’s media serving many masters, and only one of them is social media.

I’ve changed my mind. New media is not about finding the influencers. It is about attracting the influencers…with content.

Recently Channel Signal has had several companies approach it with the request of “give us your list of influencers and we will take it from there.”

Uh, noooo.

And a lot of blogs have been pontificating on the importance of locating the influencers. Of talking with them. Providing product. Making them your messengers. After quite a bit of thought, and discussions with Channel Signal analyst David Sweeney, I asked myself…

How are you gonna do that? How is a brand gonna approach an influencer and tell him or her that you really just want to use them to make more money? “Please be a low paid messenger so our brand can continue to sell more product?”

That’s like somebody coming up to you in a bar and saying, “You look like you know a lot of people in here. I’ll buy you drinks for the rest of the night if you be my friend and introduce me to your pals so that I can network into a job.”

This social media thing has gotten silly. Stupid even.

Brands will attract the influencers with excellent content placed in the right channels.

And how do you do that?

Write boldly. Be interesting. Provide information, services and game improvement techniques that make people better. And if people think you are helping them climb, run, ski, or hike better…then your brand wins.

When tweeting, think headlines or short shots of intelligence. Blogs can be more expansive with more personality. Both need to convey interesting stuff. Stuff that is…

Smart. Filled with interesting hooks. Sassy. Bold.

Target the aspirational customers with an eye to converting them to being enthusiasts. That’s your largest target market. Those are the people who will grow your brand online, and offline. And that content will attract the influencers because of its wide appeal.

Those who sell you on collecting a list of influencers and then show you how to get them to be cheap messengers are selling the allusion of control.

There is no control. The real influencers will not be your messengers. They will not be your shill for product. They will pass along your content when it is pithy. When it is interesting. Different. Appealing. When they get excited.

And that is what you want.

So, the brands in the outdoor recreational space have work to do.

Oh, and when you write content for your brand, stop selling. It’s annoying.

And buy this book, and read it.

On Writing Well

And when writing for new  media, every time you use an adjective, ask yourself…”Am I starting to sell again?”.

It surrounds every company,

penetrates every communication device.

Employees listen,

and decide if they want to reply.

.

You text, phone message or email.

Get the recorded message, the auto reply.

You need answers to fullfill the request.

Time passes; the communication link dies.

.

And months later you get the frantic call.

We’ve had a meeting

Be here tomorrow,

we’ll meet down the hall.

.

More responsive, more mobile, companies said.

But the answering machine, email, and text

have become tools of defense,

where much goes unread.

.

So, I have a question for you.

When there is a crisis,

and a critical message doesn’t get through.

Who pays the price?

Who looks like the fool?

As best as we can tell it started in 2008 with a call from Timberland to all people in social media encouraging them to make a video about their participation in a new program called Earthkeepers. The best videos would qualify for Timberland gear. Here it is.

And although many good videos were made, you’ve got to take the good with the bad.

And this was a recent response to the video you just viewed.

When brands launch a video promotion they should keep in mind a couple of things in new media.

1. You have no control of the content or the distribution. And distribution is the killer. Almost everything that gets produced for a promotion will be put up on YouTube. And if a “parody” spot on your brand takes off, the promotion ballon was just injected with lead.

2. The long tail of new media. This stuff does not die easily. It stays on YouTube a long long time. And all it takes is for somebody to discover a negative spot, send it around, and you have a new problem born by an ancient promotion.

Brands should stop believing that all people march to the same positive tune of a new promotion and its slug line.

Oh, and the slug line used in this campaign?

Take It All On.

A few days ago I got a call from a lawyer who has ties with Sea World. Not direct ties but close enough to be concerned.

So the conversation goes like this…
Lawyer: “Are you aware of what happened yesterday at Sea World?”
Me: “Yup. Read about it.”
Lawyer: “I want to suggest that they call you because this is an incident that could blow into a crisis. They need Channel Signal to monitor this.”   Me: “Thanks. We would love to help. Based on a little searching around it looks like its heading into crisis now.”

Well, we didn’t get the call, and the message was, thanks we have it covered.
Good for them. Hope it goes well.

It’s not.
All major news outlets carried it. Predictable. Major animal rights sites were on the offensive. Predictable. And Sea World and animal entertainment advocates were on the defensive. Predictable.

And here are the unanswered questions which brought heat to the debate:

1. Why was this whale in question (Tilikam) involved in the shows after killing other people?
2. Is the use of predators for entertainment just a game of chance?
3. Why did the shows resume so quickly.
4. And are these predators merely prisoners for fun and profit?

Pick your side and pull out your firearm.

CNN sponsored a raging screaming match between an orca trainer and an avid environmentalist. Other news talk shows followed. Actors and actresses got involved. PETA has set up a Free Willy Facebook Site and already has over 6,000 followers.

Twitter, Facebook, and the blogsphere lit up about the poor handling of the situation.

And standing in the middle of this traditional and social media storm is Sea World.

A couple of things to remember here.

When an incident blows into a crisis, immediately start monitoring…on both sides of the issue.
1. Learn what is critical to answer and answer those questions…rapidly.
2. Address and even attack false statements rapidly.
3. And have people available 24/7 for all questions from all quarters.
4. And don’t stop listening, and responding until the crisis is past…well past.
5. And no attitude.

Now, I realize that, according to reports, the Sea World team is tight and losing a trainer to another family member (Tilikam) has to be devastating.

But, that is why you bring in a communications team that knows what they are doing. To protect the Sea World team. Provide guidance. Get to the facts. And appoint an authentic Sea World spokesperson.

And some of these people on the communication team should have news training because first and foremost this is a news story. The facts…that’s what reporters want. And if they smell that facts are being withheld, then they will dig harder and look for angles.

And reporters will then report those “angles” and that information will be picked up by the blogs. And mis-information becomes fact.

Sea World finds its very business model now being questioned. Will parents risk a show knowing that something terrible could happen? Will people  find it detestable that these carnivores are kept in tanks for life, when in the wild they travel over 100 miles a day in open ocean?  And is this just about money, since the show opened 3 days after the tradegy?

Free Willy has taken on a whole new meaning for Sea World.

And some of this could have been avoided with a communication strategy laid out in advance. And a new key to that strategy is 24/7 monitoring of the crisis so that opinions are quickly uncovered, and then covered with facts.

Before Social Media, you could count on a crisis having a limited shelf-life. After all, the media had new things to cover and its attention was taken elsewhere.

With Social Media, every crisis has a long tail. So, Sea World and its handlers will be dealing with blogs, tweets, YouTube, and Flickr for the forseeable future. And with every new fact about the story will be thousands of opinions.

“We’ve got it covered.”

Clearly, Sea World underestimated “it”.

And what it would take to “cover” it.

An article by Channel Signal appeared in SNEWS a couple of days ago. It has to do with wolf-killing derbies held in Idaho, and is getting circulated. The piece also addresses UVEX and how it used social media to outflank the International Olympic Committee.

I want to make it easy for you to see Channel Signal columns from SNEWS. So, go to this link and you can view the story, as well as other SNEWS stories.

https://www.snewsnet.com/SNEWSFreebie/ChannelSignalFriend.html

Thanks.

eMarketer reports that, “While Q3 2009 data showed e-mail on top for content-sharing, February 2010 information from social optimization platform Gigya points to Facebook as the Web’s top social sharing hub.”

Facebook continues to grow because users believe that the content is richer due to photos, video, and articles, all  being easily shared.

It is also more personal. Protected. And intuitive.

As for Twitter? The noise continues. I use it, but am frustrated, at times, with the amount of nonsense on it.

“What a beautiful sunrise!”

“Forgot how much I liked my banana nut muffin!”

“Getting ready for a jog. Ugh!”

I realize that, obviously, many people are interested in this slice of lifestyle. Just not me.

I use and like Twitter when interesting articles are posted. Or my attention is brought to a new hot topic.

However, it looks like many agree, that Facebook is less noise and more of the content that interests the “fans”.